On Angel's Wings
by M.W. Roach
Summary: Upon viewer's request, I proudly present another chapter of the "Who Wants Pie" saga. Description inside. FINISHED
1. Oh, By the Way

_Atali is dying, and he holds a terrible secret. His disease is contagious and the only cure is a plant that grows only in the wastelands outside of Paradise. It is up to Toboe to lead the new generation of wolves into the treacherous outlands to find this mysterious plant. Can they find it in time before the disease consumes them? Who is this she-wolf that lives in the bare land? Can she really fly?_

**_"On Angel's Wings"_**

By: M.W. Roach

_**Ch.1**_  
**_"Oh, By the Way…"_**

All the wolves were gathered in a cave. Cheza sang her song sadly. Atali was lying in the middle of them, his breathing labored. Kiba and Sheba lay on Atali's right. Tsume and Shiloh lay to his left. Hige and Blue lay by his head. Toboe and Lulua lay by his tail. Jhataf, Kay, and Yohan sat in the background. Kay whimpered sadly for the old silver wolf. Atali lifted his head.

"The old windbag." He said quietly.

Kiba gently put his paw on Atali's neck.

"Don't talk, old man. You're wasting your energy."

Atali sighed.

"It saddens me to leave you all so soon." Atali looked at the ground. He had to tell them.

"Wolves, I must tell you something. I can not take this secret to the grave."

All the wolves perked up they're ears and leaned foreword.

"I am dying. I am dying from a terrible disease. My wolves…" Atali stopped to catch his breath.

"My wolves, my disease is…contagious."

Instantly, all the wolves leapt back about 4 feet.

"WHAT?" Tsume shouted.

"CONTAGIOUS?" Hige added.

The wolves began to whisper amongst themselves. Kiba immediately put a stop to it.

"Be quiet! Listen to what he has to say!" He ordered.

They quieted and let Atali finish.

"I know you are upset with me now. I am so sorry."

"How did you get a disease in Paradise?" Blue asked.

Atali shook his head.

"This disease I brought with me from the outside world. I never thought anything of it. But, it slowly began to take its toll. First, I began getting large sores filled with pus."

Kay shuddered at the thought of the festering sores.

"Then, I began losing my appetite. Anything I ate came back up." He stopped again to catch his breath.

"Now, my innards are being devoured, and I am in great pain."

Again, the wolves muttered to each other. Lulua stepped up.

"So, what? Our fate is the same as yours now? We're all going to die because of you?"

Atali nodded gently. His picked his ears up when he heard a series of growls. He sighed.

"There is a way." He whispered.

The cave fell silent upon hearing Atali's words.

"A way? What way?" Kiba asked.

Atali licked his dry lips.

"My disease was contracted outside of Paradise while waiting for the 6 wolves of the Apocalypse. Therefore, the only cure is an herb that grows outside of Paradise, in the desolate nothingness of the outlands."

Kiba stepped foreword.

"I will go then, and retrieve this plant."

Cheza ceased her singing. She turned to Kiba.

"Kiba, no. It is too dangerous and you are too old."

Kiba sighed. His once proud muscles were now sunken in. His fur was thinning, showing his ribs. Yes, he had gotten old. How long had they been in Paradise? 6 years? 7 years? Toboe stood up, Lulua at his side.

"We'll go instead." Toboe said.

Lulua nodded in agreement. She turned to Jhataf and Kay.

"Fat boy and Soup bones are coming with us." She ordered.

Kay and Jhataf looked at each other.

"Who?" Kay asked.

"Us?" Jhataf added.

Lulua walked towards them, growling slightly.

"You don't have a problem with that, do you?" She threatened, showing her fangs.

The two wolves frantically shook they're heads.

Yohan bounded foreword.

"Can I go, too?" He asked, wagging his tail.

Lulua's face softened for her son.

"You're too young, baby. You stay here."

Yohan grunted sadly.

"Oh, come on, mom. I won't whine. I promise I won't. I can keep up, too."

Toboe glanced over at his son. Yohan was the same age he was when they entered Paradise. Yohan was only 2 (14 in wolf years). Toboe shook his head.

"Let him come, Lulua. He wants adventure. He won't whine."

Lulua nodded.

"Alright, but he has to keep up."

The conversation was cut short when Atali let out a painful yowl. The wolves gathered at his side.

"Do not fret, my wolves." Atali gasped. "After all, dying is just a part of living. I will return."

Atali groaned and twitched. His body went limp. Cheza began to cry. She buried her face in Kiba's coat. Kiba threw back his head and howled. Sheba, Tsume, Hige, Blue and Shiloh joined in. Toboe, Lulua, Yohan, Jhataf and Kay, too, cried for the loss of Atali's fragile life.

Paradise echoed with their sad songs. Wolves all over Paradise heard their brethren's cry and joined in, mourning the death of the not-so-wise Wisdom of Paradise.


	2. Little Yohan and the Dragon Tales

_Ch.2_  
**_"Little Yohan and the Dragon Tales"_**

After Atali's death, the wolves quietly left the cave in an orderly fashion. Nobody said a word until they were far from the cave, which would never be ventured into again.

"So, when do we leave?" Kay asked.

Toboe thought for a moment, then stopped.

"There might not be any edible substances in the outlands. We'll gorge for 3 days here, then we can leave."

"How long will it take us to find the plant?" Jhataf asked.

"Probably months." Lulua said pessimistically.

"Don't say that!" Kay whimpered.

"Let's be realistic, Kay." Lulua said "Who knows how big it is out there? Who knows if there is even life out there?"

"Oh, there's life out there alright." Jhataf said, very sure of himself.

"How do you know?" Toboe asked.

Jhataf stopped the group. He looked around; making positively sure the elder wolves had gone home.

"I hear tell," He whispered. "That there are giant, carnivorous plants out there."

He stopped momentarily to see if his audience was intrigued. They were. He continued.

"The coyotes that live on the border of the outlands, say that they've seen…"

"What's taking so long, Kay?" Came a deep voice.

The wolves turned to see Tsume. Kay wagged her tail.

"Nothing, daddy. We're coming." Kay nudged Jhataf slightly. "We have to go."

Jhataf grunted and turned to walk home.

"See you guys later." He called to Toboe and Lulua.

Lulua growled.

"What was he going to say? What did the coyotes see?"

Toboe laughed and shook his head.

"Ignore him. You know Jhataf will believe anything."

Lulua thought to herself, then snickered at the memory of Jhataf falling for her many practical jokes.

"Let's go home." She said.

"Wait. Where's Yohan?" Toboe asked.

Lulua looked around frantically.

"He was right here a moment ago!"

While his parents were talking, Yohan took the liberty of using his camouflage to sneak off into the dusk. Once out of sight, Yohan turned back to his normal color. He was almost all reddish-brown, except for one ear, his muzzle, half his chest, and his left hind foot, which were white. His white ear was folded over. Ever since he could remember, it had always been that way.

His father told him that one day, he'd been playing with Galaxy, Moon Dancer's colt, and the little horse had accidentally stepped on the pup's ear, breaking it. Ever since, Yohan had one ear up and one ear down. It didn't matter, though. Lulua always told him he was cuter that way.

Yohan was cute. Yohan was also very sweet tempered. But, he was the clumsiest wolf you'd ever see. He tripped over rocks, logs, bones, his feet and even his own tail. He couldn't run 20 feet without his stride being broken by falling in a gopher hole or stepping on himself. But, despite his constant falling, he was a joy to be around, at least if you could see him.

"YOHAN!" Lulua's voice rang out.

"YOHAN, WHERE ARE YOU?" Toboe shouted.

Yohan flinched at their voices. He knew he was in trouble for wandering again.

_What worrywarts! _He thought to himself as he slunk home. _What do they think is going to happen to me?_

Yohan bolted for his parents, but not before tripping over a passing tortoise.

Kay watched the anthill in amazement. She was lying down, the hill between her front paws. Her eyes were wide as she watched the tiny ants drag twigs 4 times their size in and out of the hill.

"So," She said, keeping her eyes on the hill, "What were you going to say earlier?"

Jhataf lifted his head from the deer he was eating.

"'Bout what?" He asked, mouthful of intestines.

"About the rumors those coyotes are spreading."

"Oh, yeah." Jhataf swallowed. "The coyotes say they've seen a creature called a dragon."

Kay perked up her ears.

"Dragon? What's a dragon?"

"They say it's a huge, monstrous, flying lizard that breathes fire."

Kay pulled her gaze from the ants to Jhataf.

"Fire breathing? As in…hot, burning fire?"

Jhataf nodded.

"That's what the coyotes say."

(Fire wasn't uncommon in Paradise. When trees became too dense for creatures to walk in, Sheba had to teach Lulua how to thin it out. She called on lightning to strike the trees, causing a contained fire. Then, she would summon the rains to put it out. So, the wolves knew what fire could do.)

Kay shuddered at the thought of the ferocious creatures.

"I hope we don't run into any of those things."


	3. Gotta Have Faith

2 reviews for my previous chapter? Is that all I get? Come on, people! We're just gettin' to the good part! You can do better then that! Show Roach that she makes you happy:) I wanna read a smile! 

_Ch.3_

"_**Gotta Have Faith"**_

Lulua dug her bloodied face into what was left of her moose. They had only one more day to gorge before they'd leave. Jhataf walked by and sniffed the moose. Unimpressed, he walked away. Lulua looked up in shock. She growled and shoved Jhataf to the ground.

"What the hell was that!" She hissed.

Jhataf looked up, confused.

"What did I do?"

"You sniffed my meat!"

Jhataf lay there for a moment, allowing Lulua's crazy words to sink in.

"What? You're mad because I sniffed your meat? Oh, come on! It's not like a peed on it! You can still eat it!"

Lulua turned her nose up and walked away.

"It's ruined now. You eat it."

Jhataf wagged his tail.

"Oh, okay!"

Lulua plopped herself down by a rock. It wasn't her fault she blew up. Everyone was on edge, nervous about venturing into the outlands. Kay, too, was moody. She'd picked several fights with Lulua over the past few days, and also picked on Jhataf, who, in turn, picked on Yohan. The time was drawing nearer.

Kiba paced around frantically. He was 100 against having his daughter and grandson wander into the outlands. He stopped his pacing to scratch his shoulder, which had been itching for days.

"We can't let them go, Sheba. I still think I should go."

Sheba shook her head.

"Out of the question. You're staying right here. They're younger and stronger then us. They'll be fine. She _is_ your daughter. Have faith, Kiba."

"Faith? Faith in what? Sheba, Atali is dead! We're all going to die like that!"

"Have faith in your daughter. Death is nothing. I watched you die over and over, Kiba! Darcia, the A-bomb, the trolley…everything! But, I had faith that you would find Paradise, and you did. Now, have faith that your daughter and your grandson will save us all."

Kiba hung his head. He hated it when she was right. But, she was. Nothing kept him away from his goal. He died so many times trying to reach Paradise, until finally, death gave up on him and allowed him to enter Paradise. He rubbed his head on Sheba's.

"You're right. Death will threaten them, but they will fight it and succeed."

Sheba nodded.

"Could you do me a favor?" Kiba asked.

"Anything."

"Please don't mention the trolley incident anymore. It's embarrassing."

Lulua curled up by Toboe. She sighed. Toboe picked up his head.

"What's wrong, Lulua?"

Lulua turned away.

"Toboe, could I tell you something in confidence?"

Toboe licked her face gently.

"You know you can tell me anything." He reassured.

Lulua stayed quiet for a moment, then whispered.

"I…I'm scared."

"Scared? Scared of what?"

"The outlands."

Toboe wagged his tail and licked her face again.

"It's okay. Nothing bad will happen to you. You're Kiba's daughter. Kiba could do everything. He was my hero, you know."

"I thought Tsume was your hero?"

Toboe shook his head.

"Once, before we found Paradise, Cheza was stolen by Jagura. Kiba chased the aircraft down for miles before passing out in a desert under some poisonous plants. The others were going to go on without him, but I decided I wanted to stay with the Natives, as I figured Kiba wasn't going to lead us anymore. But then the natives found him, and brought him back. That's when I decided I wasn't going to whine anymore, and I wasn't going to run away. It's because of your father, Lulua. Kiba made my faith stronger. You need to have faith."

Lulua watched Toboe intently. She was in a trance, awed by his words. Toboe looked into her mismatched green and gold eyes.

"Without faith, Lulua, you have nothing."

Lulua wagged her tail happily. She looked out on the horizon. The sun was coming up. They'd been talking all night. She got up, tail stiff and erect. She spoke in a low voice.

"Let's do this."


	4. Scars in the Outlands

_Ch.4_  
**_"Scars in the Outlands"_**

The group of young wolves bravely left the center of Paradise. They walked straight towards the bare mountains that surrounded their Eden. As they got closer to the mountains, the green grass disappeared, leaving only hot sand and jagged rocks. This place was called the Desert Lands. Very few deer lived there. The scorpions, the serpents, and the coyotes occupied this place. The wolves stayed very close to each other, as they didn't want to be bitten by the snakes or stung by the arachnids. The mountains were forbidding and smelled of rotten eggs. Toboe walked in front. His face was stern. He was determine to save his friends, no matter what. Lulua was at his side. She was, indeed, afraid, but she couldn't show it. Her father would do this with no problem. She had to do this for him and her mother. She looked over at Yohan, who walked behind her. She was afraid for him most of all. If anything were to happen to him, she would never forgive herself.

"Walk near me, Yohan." She said.

Yohan trotted to her side. He stumbled over his feet and fell against her, knocking her into Toboe. Toboe stopped. Jhataf and Kay slammed into him. Everyone stopped to exchange angry looks at one another.

"It is unwise of you wolves to venture outside of your lush territory." Hissed a voice.

The wolves perked up their ears and looked about frantically.

"Yes. Run home, little wolves. Back to your sanctuary." Came a second voice.

"You're not welcome here." A third voice rang out.

"Who said that?" Toboe demanded.

A serious of insidious snickers rose up.

"Show yourselves, you cowards!" Lulua snarled.

Three large coyotes appeared before them, laughing maniacally. Their eyes glowed red. The wolves became defensive and began snarling. The coyotes replied with their own snarls. They began circling the wolves.

"Move it, vermin." Lulua growled.

"We're not going to invade your territory." Kay tried to reason "We're going to the outlands."

The coyotes laughed.

"Run home, wolves." One of the coyotes repeated. "Save yourself the pain of being devoured by the dragons!"

"Dragons?" Toboe asked. "What dragons?"

"The dragons whom reside in the outlands." Another coyote spat. "Do yourselves a favor and leave at once."

"We're not leaving." Toboe said. "It's none of your business what we're doing out there. So, step aside."

"Fools!" Shouted the largest coyote. "They will burn the skin off your flesh while you're still squirming!"

Yohan shuddered.

"Mom…" he whispered.

Lulua was now snarling loudly, saliva dripping from her eager fangs.

"Let's take them down, Toboe." She said.

The coyotes snickered.

"Do not be so quick to act hostile." One of them warned.

Suddenly, the wolves found themselves surrounded by glowing eyes. There were at least 80 coyotes watching them.

The group backed up slowly.

"Run." Toboe whispered.

Immediately, the pack whipped around and bolted for the outlands. Lulua, knowing her clumsy son, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and lifted him off the ground. She ran after her pack mates, the coyotes nipping at her heels. They approached the foot of the mountains and leapt from rock to rock. Lulua wasn't so graceful as Yohan still dangled from her motherly mouth. With great difficult, she made it to the top. The coyotes ceased the chase and loped home, filling the air with their loud, yells and yodels. Lulua put her son down. She gasped for air. She looked over at her silent comrades, who stared blankly at the scarred outlands. Her jaw dropped.

The outlands were nothing but flat, rocky desert, not much different then the Desert Lands they'd just passed through. Small pools of molten rock simmered and boiled over onto the sand. Steam rose up from the rocks and the sky was a rippled blood red. Toboe could hardly breathe.

"This is it. This is what's left of the world. It's nothing."

Kay shook her head.

"I don't think anything lives here. Not even dragons."

"Should we go back?" Jhataf asked.

"No. Atali said there's a plant here. We're going to find." Toboe said proudly. "Come on."

Toboe trotted down the mountain into the forbidden outlands. Lulua and Yohan followed. Kay trotted behind. Jhataf followed reluctantly. The wolves walked in silence in the strange land. They were thoroughly infatuated with their surroundings. Yohan took advantage of this. He slowed his pace. Soon, Kay passed him, then Jhataf. Yohan closed his eyes and disappeared into his surroundings.

He didn't know how long he'd been running, but he felt he was far from the others now. He opened his eyes and reappeared. He looked around in awe. Holes in the ground spit boiling hot steam every few minutes. He backed up while looking at the crimson sky. He stopped right over a geyser. It erupted right under his tail. He yelp and lunged foreword, his tail tucked between his legs. He turned to see what creature had dared attacked him like that. He backedaway slowly.

"Anyone there?" He asked.

The geyser erupted again. Yohan sighed. He turned to walk away, only to slip and fall on his face. He got up and sneezed the sand out of his nose. Suddenly, the ground beneath him began to rumble. The sand gave way and he fell 10 feet below the surface. The secret entrence filled back up with sand, closing itself again.He landed hard on slippery rocks. It was dark in this cave. It was also wet. Yohan lowered his head and licked the rocks.

He was very thirsty. He walked along the wet rocks blindly. He stumbled and fell into a pool of cool water. Eagerly, he lapped some up. He stopped when he heard a growl. He wasn't alone. He was frightened now. Whatever was in the cave with him was big, and worse, he couldn't see a thing. He shut his eyes and turned black, hoping the beast lurking in the cave wouldn't see him. His breathing slowed. He heard the animal approaching him. He froze when he felt a nose press up against his own. The nose sniffed. The creature growled, sending shivers up and down Yohan's back.

_This is it. _He thought to himself. _I'm dragon chow!_

Well, I hope you liked that chapter...cuz you ain't gettin' anymore. I'm sorry, but its just really discouraging to only get 2 reviews per chapter. If you want more, I need reviews. I know, I'm mean. But, hey, its only fair.


	5. Stop Bugging Me

_Ch.5  
**"Stop Bugging Me"**_

Lulua dashed around the outlands frantically. She threw her head back and howled.

"YOHAN!" She cried. "YOHAN!"

The other wolves ran to catch up with the frantic mother.

"Lulua, we're wasting our energy! Stop for a minute and let us rest!" Kay begged.

"NO! My son is out there! My little boy is lost!" Lulua argued before taking off again.

Toboe was worried, too, but Kay was right. They needed to stop to gather their thoughts.

"Lulua, stop. We need to rest. Once we calm down, we…"

"Calm down? CALM DOWN? I am not calming down! Don't you care that Yohan is missing? Toboe, you heard those coyotes! There are things out there!"

Kay was furious now. She stomped her paw into the hot ground.

"Leave her, Toboe! She won't listen! She's too damn closed-minded!"

Lulua looked at Kay, enraged beyond all reason. Toboe sighed.

"Oh, no." He said to himself.

Lulua marched up to Kay and stared her in the eye. Surprisingly, Kay did not back down.

"You little witch. Have you no heart? My son is out there all alone in this hellhole and all you can think about is yourself?"

Kay snarled.

"He shouldn't have wandered off!"

"That's between me and him! Right now, we need to find him!"

"Then you can go alone! Now, get out of my face!"

Kay lunged at Lulua, knocking her off balance. Lulua crashed to the ground. She jumped up, eyes burning.

"Son of a…"

She grabbed Kay by her back and flung her into a jagged rock. Kay yelped. Toboe jumped in and pushed Lulua down.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Lulua struggled to get up, snapping viciously. Kay got up painfully, blood oozing out of her back. Angrily, she ran off into the unknown wilderness.

"Kay, wait!" Jhataf called.

Kay continued running for a while. Soon, she slowed to a walk. She stopped by a large rock and sat down. She sniffled and wiped her teary eyes with the back of her paw. She jumped when she heard the sound of flapping wings. She became very still. She heard it again. It was coming from the other side of the large rock. Slowly and quietly, she peeked behind the rock and gasped at what she saw.

Meanwhile, in Paradise, Kiba rested underneath an elm tree. Just as he was dozing off, his shoulder itched again. He grunted and lifted his back leg to scratch. He flinched when his claws brushed against his skin. He twisted his head around and sniffed. His eyes went wide.

"Oh, no."

He ran over to a creek and looked at his reflection. His fears had been realized. There, on his right shoulder, were three black pus-filled sores.

Kay cautiously approached the gigantic cockroach. It was the size of a full-grown male wolf. She stared at the insect in awe.

"Its…enormous! The shear size of it!"

Kay loved bugs, and this one was the biggest thing on six legs. It opened the protective casing on its back, reveling huge wings. It flapped the monstrous appendages and floated above Kay's head. It purred. She wagged her tail.

"Hey, big fella!"

Suddenly, the roach opened its huge snapping jaws and gave a blood-curdling scream. Kay lay her ears back and dropped her tail between her legs in horror.

"Oh, geez."

The insect spat green fluids at her. It missed and hit the rock, which melted upon contact with the deadly acid. Kay bolted back towards the pack. The eager bug followed, roaring and spitting at her heels. Kay shouted helplessly.

Jhataf picked his ears up at the sound of Kay's howl.

"Anybody else hear that?"

Toboe and Lulua looked up. Kay was running towards them, now being pursued by an entire swarm.

"DRAGONS!" Jhataf screamed.

The other wolves jumped up and took off. Kay was with them now. She had never run so fast in her entire life. The pack howled in fear as the army of mutant roaches chased them deeper into the outlands.

Yohan stood very still as the strange creature sniffed him over, growling in the process. Suddenly, the sand where Yohan fell through reopened. He looked up to see an enormous cockroach hovering over the cave entrance. It squealed and flew at him. Frozen with fear, he could only watch and wait for his undoing.

The other wolves struggled desperately to stay just ahead of the acid-spitting bugs. Something appeared in the distance. A pine forest?

"In there!" Toboe shouted.

They were about 10 feet from the trees when they realized it wasn't a pine forest at all. It was a plantation of giant Venus flytraps. It was too late to turn back, though. They dashed into the deadly plantation. Immediately, the carnivorous plants began snapping. The wolves dodged the hungry plants. But, the roaches couldn't. Toboe turned and watch as the roaches began being snatched up one by one. Upon seeing their brethren become plant food, the remaining bugs retreated.

The wolves kept running, weaving and dodging the flytraps until they noticed a break in the thick forest. They all stopped and collapsed in a heap, panting.

"We should…be safe…here…for a while." Toboe gasped out.

"Were…those…real dragons?" Jhataf asked.

"No…" Kay panted. "They were cockroaches…Big… hairy… mutated… acid-spitting… cockroaches."

She looked at her pack mates, then sighed.

"I hate bugs."

Lulua glanced up through the thick canopy of flytraps. She could see parts of the sky, which were blocked every now and then from a passing roach. The bugs were waiting for the wolves to leave so they could ambush them. Lulua sighed. There was no doubt about it. Her Yohan, her sweet little boy, her only pup, was probably dead. Her eyes weld up with tears. Toboe noticed his mate's sadness. He walked over to her and rubbed his chin on her head.

"I know." He whispered.

She shoved her face into his chest and cried. Her sobbing was muffled, but the others heard her crying. Kay, too, wept. What were they going to do now?

There was a flash of stripes, a painful scream, and a sickening splatter. Yohan watched as a magnificent cobalt-colored wolf with creamy stripes tore open the roach's gut. The bug fell to the ground, dead. The wolf stopped momentarily in the light and just stared. Its eyes were violet with swirls of teal and turquoise.

_Wow._ Yohan thought to himself.

It looked at Yohan, then motioned him to follow it deeper into the cave.

"More will be coming." It said in a female voice. "Follow me if you wish to survive."

Yohan got up slowly and followed the strange she-wolf deeper into the dark.

**Well, I have faith (which is the moral of my story) that this chapter will rake in the reviews!**


	6. I Believe I Can Fly

**Claimer/Disclaimer**: I own **all** of the characters in this story with the exception of Kiba, Tsume, Toboe, Hige, Blue and Cheza.

_Ch.6  
**"I Believe I Can Fly"**_

Yohan and the strange tiger-striped wolf walked for a long time before stopping. It was pitch black.

"I can't see a thing. How do you know where you're going?" Yohan asked.

"I have lived here all my life. I know this cave better then I knew my own parents."

Yohan hung his head. That was awful.

"Do you live here all by yourself?" He asked.

The she wolf nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see it. Yohan took her silence as a yes. He sighed sadly.

"That's terrible. Living all alone without any friends or no one to talk to."

Yohan was about to cry when a brilliant idea popped into his head.

"I know! I'll be your friend!"

The she-wolf perked up her ears.

"You? Be my friend?"

Yohan excitedly wagged his tail.

"Yeah! We could play and run around and swim."

The wolf rolled her eyes.

"And where do you propose we do all this?"

"In Paradise, of course!"

The wolf gasped.

"Did you just say Paradise? Is that where you're from?"

Yohan nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep!"

After thinking a moment, the striped wolf slammed herself against the side of the cave. It cracked and opened, allowing light into the darkness. She turned and looked at Yohan, now that she could see him. He was adorable, still just a pup. Her eyes softened for him. He seemed to sense that she was pleased.

"My name is Yohan. What's your name?"

She looked away bashfully.

"I…I haven't got one."

Yohan sat for a moment, perplexed. How could she not have a name? He got up and studied her carefully, then yipped happily.

"You look like a Tiger Lily to me."

The she-wolf wagged her tail for the first time.

"My name is Tiger Lily."

She peeked out of the hole in the cave. The hot sun was finally descending. She turned to Yohan.

"Come with me. I want to show you something."

Tiger Lily leapt out of the cave. Yohan looked out cautiously, but stayed put.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

"What if the dragons come back?"

Tiger Lily tilted her head.

"Dragons? What dragons?"

"You know, the thing that attacked us earlier."

"Oh, the roaches. Don't worry about them. Its too cold for them to come out at night."

Yohan slowly crawled out of the cave. He looked around. The outlands were kind of nice at night. The sky was vast and dotted with stars. The moon, though far away, brightened the land. It almost glowed. Yohan breathed in a lung-full of brimstone filled air. It wasn't Paradise air, but it was better then that stuffy cave. Tiger Lily ran foreword a couple feet then turned.

"Come on, Yohan."

Yohan sighed.

"I'm not very graceful. I fall over myself a lot."

Tiger Lily giggled.

"Where we're going, you won't have to worry about falling."

Tiger Lily continued her run. Yohan followed at a slow, steady trot.

Tiger Lily stopped at the edge of a cliff. Yohan, after he caught up, looked over the edge. He yipped and jumped back.

"We don't have to worry about falling at the edge of a cliff?" Yohan asked sarcastically.

Tiger Lily laughed.

"Don't worry." She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "I can fly."

Yohan backed up slowly.

"Okay." He said quietly.

Tiger Lily grunted.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

Yohan sighed and looked away.

"Wolves can't fly." He said bluntly.

She laid her ears back and looked at the cliff's edge.

"I'll prove it."

She leapt.

"TIGER LILY, NO! STOP!" Yohan yelled.

He ran to the edge and looked down. There was nothing there.

"What the-…"

He flinched when he heard giggling behind him. He turned and looked up. Tiger Lily was floating above the ground, kicking her legs as if she were swimming. Yohan's jaw dropped. She flew around his head, gracefully. She pointed at something with her nose.

"Pick up that bone, Yohan. There, by your feet."

Yohan looked down and noticed a long bone. He tilted his head.

"Where'd you get this?"

"I'll tell you later."

Yohan picked the bone up. Tiger Lily reached down and grabbed the other end of it. Immediately, he felt himself being lifted off the ground. He thrashed his legs about wildly.

"Don't do that. It won't work if you don't trust me. Have faith, Yohan."

Yohan heeded Tiger Lily's words and began moving his legs in a running type manner. He wagged his tail.

"I'm flying!"

Tiger Lily laughed.

"See? I told you!"

"How?"

"I'm not really sure, but after Paradise was opened, and everything died, I had a dream. A voice told me that, because I was so brave and I was still alive, I would get the gift of flight from the great Spirits. When I woke up, I figured I had nothing to lose, and I leapt. And now, Yohan, I share my gift with you."

They began moving foreword, getting further and further from the cliff. They matched each other's movements stride for stride. Yohan had never been so graceful in his life. There was nothing to trip over. He was free. He looked over lovingly at Tiger Lily.

"When we get to Paradise, you can have all the bones you want."

That night, the wolf now known as Tiger Lily took Yohan on a grand tour of the outlands.


	7. Just the Two of Us

_Ch.7_  
**_ "Just the Two of Us"_**

The first landmark on the tour was the forest.

"See that?" Tiger Lily asked. "That's the Roach Eaters Forest. All the plants in there eat the roaches."

Yohan sniffed the air. He scrunched up his face, disgusted.

"Ugh, it smells."

"I know. The bugs rot inside the mouth of the plants before turning into liquid. Then the plants eat the juice."

Yohan shuddered.

"Gross."

The wolves were asleep in the forest. Jhataf awoke looked up through the canopy at the sky. He saw something. 2 flying wolves? He groaned and put his paw over his face.

"I knew I shouldn't have eaten that half-rotted bug."

Yohan perked up his ears as they came upon a large body of water.

"We're going to land now." Tiger Lily said.

She retracted her legs, pulling the close to her body. Yohan did the same. They slowly descended to the ground. Tiger Lily stretched her legs out before hitting the ground. Yohan didn't and fell on his head. Tiger Lily giggled.

"We'll work on the landing later."

Yohan got up and followed Tiger Lily to the water's edge. He sniffed.

"Salt water? Is this the ocean?"

Tiger Lily nodded.

"Nothing lives in it anymore, but the salt is a good bug repellent."

Yohan tilted his head.

"Bug repellent?"

"Yeah. If they get the salt in their mouth, they explode. It's pretty cool."

Tiger Lily jumped up and shoved Yohan into a pile of wet salt. She laughed and took off. Yohan got up and chased her, pushing her into the salty water. He play-bowed and she jumped on his head and nipped his ear. He responded with a yip before biting on her neck fur. They played for a few hours knocking each other in the water, biting, growling and chasing one another.

After 3 hours, they lay on their backs and looked up at the stars. Yohan looked over at Tiger Lily.

"Tiger Lily, you're my very best friend."

Tiger Lily wagged her tail.

"You're mine, too, Yohan. You're my only friend."

Yohan flipped himself on his stomach.

"We'll be friends forever. I can't wait to take you to Paradise. We could play as long as we want without having to worry about those big stupid cockroaches. By the way, why haven't you tried to go to Paradise before? It's right over the hills, you know."

"I know, but outsiders can't enter without being invited by a Paradise wolf."

Tiger Lily got up and grabbed the bone.

"C'mon. I have one more place to show you."

The two once again found themselves air bound.

"I've saved the best for last." Tiger Lily said excitedly. "It's…"

She stopped when she heard wings. Both wolves looked foreword. A cockroach was coming straight at them.

"Oh, no." Tiger Lily said.

Yohan closed his eyes.

_I hope this works. _He thought.

He turned blue with white speckles, like the sky. It spread over the bone and over Tiger Lily. The bug passed them as if they weren't there. Tiger Lily looked around in shock.

"It didn't see us! I can't even see us!"

Yohan laughed and opened his eyes, turning everything back to normal.

"We can thank my Grandma for that." He said proudly.

"We make such a good team." Tiger Lily said.

She glanced over uneasily at the bug.

_That's so peculiar. They never come out at night. What's it doing?_

The two wolves finally got to their destination. Yohan looked down in shock at the biggest bones he'd ever seen.

"Wow! Those must've been some really big deer!"

"They're dragon bones."

Yohan looked up.

"Dragon bones?"

"Yep. There were dragons here one time, but the roaches just kept getting bigger and bigger. Soon, the dragons were killed off. The roaches became the supreme ruler over this land."

They landed, a little more gracefully this time. Yohan looked at a skull.

"Look at the size of those teeth!"

Tiger Lily waited patiently while Yohan explored.

"So, this is where you got the bone, huh?"

Tiger Lily nodded.

"I couldn't help it. It was tasty looking when I saw it, but its stale."

Yohan looked around a little while longer. Tiger Lily noticed it was getting light out. She grabbed the bone.

"Let's go before the sun comes up."

On the way back to the cave, Tiger Lily's stomach growled. She grunted.

"One more stop."

They landed amongst some sleeping roaches. Quietly, Tiger Lily began to dig.

"You hungry?" She whispered.

Yohan watched the sleeping bugs closely. He was scared. He gulped.

"Umm…"

Tiger Lily reappeared from her hole, a larva the size of a goose in her mouth. Yohan shuddered.

"No. I'm good."

"Suit yourself." She said, digging her fangs into the wiggling worm.

They landed at the cave just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. They walked in.

"So, when are you taking me to Paradise?" Tiger Lily asked.

"Well, first I need to find my mom and dad. And Uncle Jhataf and Aunt Kay."

Tiger Lily stopped.

"Oh. You had company?"

"Yeah. I wandered off."

Tiger Lily sighed.

"You know, the chances of them surviving all this time is slim. Aren't you worried that they were eaten?"

Yohan laughed.

"Oh, no! They're smarter then that. Uncle Jhataf might have gotten eaten, but I doubt they'd come back for seconds after eating him!" Yohan joked.

Tiger Lily laughed. She admired Yohan for being so optimistic.

"Why did you leave Paradise to come to this dump?"

"We're looking for a plant. We all have this dis…"

Yohan stopped suddenly. He'd forgotten. He was infected with the disease. Had he just infected his new friend? He backed up slowly.

"Oh, no." He whispered. "Now you have it."

Tiger Lily stopped.

"Have what?"

Yohan backed away, tears in his eyes.

"How could I? You're…you're my best friend."

"Yohan, what are you talking about?"

Yohan turned away.

"Maybe its not too late."

"Yohan. You're scaring me."

He turned back to his friend, tears streaming down his face.

"I…I'm so sorry. I have to leave."

"What?" Tiger Lily asked, confused. She walked towards Yohan.

He backed away and ran out of the cave.

"Don't come any closer! Just stay away from me!"

Yohan disappeared from the cave, leaving a broken hearted Tiger Lily behind.

Hige and Blue rested near a brook. Kiba, Sheba, Tsume and Shiloh were covered with the disfiguring sores. The disease was consuming them faster then it consumed Atali.

It had been nearly 3 days since the others had left for the outlands. Hope was slim. Hige got up slowly, thick globs of saliva dripping from his mouth. Blue sat up.

"Hige, are you alright?"

Hige didn't answer. His head began jerking up and down. Bubbling noises came from his esophagus. His sides heaved. He opened his jaws wide and spilled hot chunks of bile-covered meat into a pile on the grass. Blue gasped.

"We just ate that deer no more then 2 hours ago."

Hige turned away and spilled another steaming pile on the grass. He couldn't keep the food down. Within moments, Blue, too, rejected her lunch into the brook. Their time was short.


	8. When I Think About Angels

_Ch.8_  
**_"When I Think About Angels"_**

Yohan ran a while before tripping. He fell hard on his face. He didn't try to get up. He covered his bruised face with his paws and cried.

_What have I done? How could I have been so stupid? _

He lay there for an hour, sobbing uncontrollably. A chilly wind blew as the sun crept higher into the sky. Yohan looked up. His eyes widened. A swarm of roaches was flying towards them. A giant cockroach the size of a buffalo rose up from behind them. Yohan jumped up and ran away. He didn't know where to go. Where was everybody?

It was still dark inside the forest, so everyone was still asleep. Jhataf slept with his head near the edge of some baby plants. One in particular was very close to his nose. When he inhaled, the plant got a little closer to his sensitive appendage. When he exhaled, it blew away. This went on for some time, until Jhataf breathed in just a little too hard. The tiny sharp-toothed plant clamped onto his nose. Jhataf's eyes shot open. He jumped up and howled in pain, thrashing his head around wildly trying to relieve himself of the nasty pest.

Yohan picked up his ears at the howl. He followed it to the forest. He put his head down and ran as fast as he could. Flying with Tiger Lily seemed to train his legs, as he did not stumble once; that is, until he got into the forest. He tripped over a root and went flying through the hideous plants.

Kay licked Jhataf's throbbing nose. He whimpered pathetically. Lulua, who had been silent almost the entire time, lifted her head.

"What's that noise?"

Toboe looked at her.

"Noise? What noi…-"

Something collided hard with Toboe. The thing flipped a couple of times before sliding on his back to a stop at Lulua's feet. Yohan wagged his tail.

"Hi, ma!"

Lulua was in shock at first, unable to move or speak.

"Yo…Yohan?"

Yohan flipped himself on his stomach and wagged his tail.

"Mom. I missed you."

Lulua could contain herself no longer. She leapt on Yohan and began licking his face, her tail wagging compulsively.

"Yohan! My baby! Oh, I was worried sick about you!" She stopped, cocked her paw back, and slapped Yohan on the muzzle.

"What the hell is the matter with you! You could have been killed! You wander off like that again and I'll…"

"Lulua! Give the kid a break!" Toboe interrupted.

"I will. First I'll break his little arms then I'll break his little legs…" Lulua continued.

Yohan laughed and rolled his eyes. Suddenly, he remembered.

"Mom, Dad! We have to get out of here! The roaches…"

The ground shook violently. The wolves leapt back as the majority of the giant plants were uprooted. A massive roach held the dangling plants in her jaws. She tossed them aside and roared. The wolves stared up, unable to move.

"Umm…they have a queen." Yohan said quietly.

The pack ran for cover in the thicker part of the forest. The queen roach went to follow, but some of the larger plants lashed out at her, grabbing her legs and thorax. She gave an ear-piercing scream as she tried to break free. The wolves were now in a thinner part of the forest. Some of the roaches now pursued them within the plants. Jhataf was getting tired and began to lag. He was suddenly jerked back. He fell. He looked over to see that one of the plants had him by the tail. He struggled to get up, without success. A roach was coming straight for him. He shut his eyes tight. Yohan leapt in just in time. He bit down and snapped the plants' stem. He and Jhataf took off before getting blasted with acid. The wolves were out of the forest now. They began running towards the mountains back to Paradise. Yohan tripped. The wolves stopped and looked back. Within moments, the roaches were upon him.

"YOHAN!" Lulua cried.

Suddenly, the roaches screamed and backed away. One by one, they exploded. The wolves winced at the sound. Yohan got up and shook off. He wagged his tail.

"I still have salt on me! You guys! Rub on me!"

The wolves rubbed their bodies on Yohan. There was plenty of salt to go around. Once covered, the pack bolted for the hills. They seemed so close. The queen flew over them and landed in their way. A few of her legs were missing and her wings were battered from the fight with the plants. She was weak, but mad. She stepped closer, acid dripping from her mouthparts. Even if she did get salt in her mouth, the acid would eat it up before the salt had a chance to effect her. She spit her acid at the wolves' feet. They backed away cautiously. They began choking. The queen's acid was strong and burned their throats. Kay was the first to faint. The others followed shortly after. Now, only Yohan stood face to face with the raging queen roach. He began getting dizzy from the fumes. She approached her prizes slowly, ready to devour them whole.

There was a flash of stripes. Yohan opened his eyes a little wider. Tiger Lily leapt on the queens' back and dug her fangs into the hard casing protecting the queen's sensitive abdomen and thorax. The queen screamed and thrashed around. Tiger Lily's jaws were locked. She looked at Yohan.

"Take your family away, now! Before the poison fills their lungs!"

The queen took off behind some rocks; Tiger Lily still firmly attached.

Yohan set to work on removing the others from the acid. He moved Kay first, since she was the lightest. Then he moved Toboe. With great difficulty, he moved Jhataf. Finally, he dragged his heavy mother away. The task took him a total of 45 minutes. He watched as they began to regain consciousness. Suddenly, there was a scream. Moments after that, a painful howl and the sickening scent of wolf's blood. Yohan gasped.

"Tiger Lily!"

He ran towards the rocks, forgetting about the acid pile. He ran straight through it. He yelped and looked at his feet. The acid made quick work of his pads, which were no longer there. He stupidly stepped onto the sand. The mixture of the sand and salt in his wounds was unbearable. Still, he had to see if Tiger Lily was okay. He trotted to the rocks, leaving a trail of bloody pawprints behind. The first thing he saw was the queen. She was on her back and gutted. One of her jaws was missing. Yohan followed some bloody streaks to Tiger Lily, who lay between two rocks. He gasped when he seen the queen's missing jaw lodged in her spine.

"Tiger Lily!" He ran to her side and pulled the jaw out. He looked at her face into her half-closed eyes.

"Tiger Lily?"

She looked at Yohan. She would have wagged her tail if she weren't paralyzed.

"Yohan." She whispered.

He wagged his tail.

"You're okay!"

"No. I…I'm dying."

Yohan shook his head.

"No. No, you'll be okay."

"Yohan." She whispered again. "I need you…to do something…for me."

He leaned closer to her and licked her face.

"Anything."

She took a labored breath.

"I need you…to promise me…that you'll bury me…in Paradise."

Yohan shook his head.

"No. You're not going to die. We're going to Paradise together. Remember? We'll play and run…"

"No. I'm in pain. I want you…to take my body to Paradise. Promise me."

"Okay." He whined.

She sighed.

"Thank you. I love you, Yohan."

Tears flowed from his eyes.

"I…I love you, too." His voice cracked.

"You were my best friend. My little broken-eared…brother."

Her beautiful tye-dyed eyes glazed over.

"Tiger Lily?"

No response.

"Tiger Lily! TIGER LILY!"

He threw his head back and howled a long, mournful song for the death of his one-time sister.


	9. Midnight Garden

_Ch.9_  
**_"Midnight Garden"_**

Toboe, Lulua, Jhataf, and Kay followed Yohan's bloody prints. They found him sobbing over the body of a dead wolf. Lulua approached it carefully and looked it over. She sat down and shook her head.

"What a shame. She was a beautiful animal."

Kay looked at the wolf's exposed teeth.

"By the looks of it, she was old, too. At least 7."

Toboe nuzzled his son gently.

"Did you know her, Yohan?"

Yohan didn't speak, but nodded, a tear dripping down his nose and onto the striped wolf's cheek.

"Her name," He whispered. "Was Tiger Lily."

Toboe nodded to the other wolves. It was only proper.

"Do you want us to help bury her, son? We'll take her by the forest so the bugs won't…"

"NO!" Yohan shouted. "No! She wanted to be buried in Paradise!"

Toboe looked at Lulua, who shook her head.

"Honey, we're tired and weak. None of us can carry…"

"I'LL carry her!" Yohan yelled.

He tried to get up, but yelped and stumbled. He picked up one of his feet and licked the bloody sand off. Toboe shook his head.

"Yohan, your intentions are great, but your feet are blistered. I might even half to carry _you_ halfway to Paradise."

Yohan looked his father deep in the eyes.

"You don't understand." He paused and looked at his mother and the others. He looked at Tiger Lily. "I promised." He whispered.

Toboe sighed. Kay and Jhataf looked at each other. Lulua watched as Yohan got up weakly. He limped over to Tiger Lily's body and pushed himself under her. He struggled to stand up straight. His legs wobbled. She wasn't heavy, but the hot sand squeezed into his raw feet. Yohan whimpered and sunk into the ground. Lulua stepped foreword to help, but Toboe stopped her. Yohan tried again. This time, he took a step. Blood dripped out from his sore, pad-less feet. His legs folded up under him and he fell again. He growled, frustrated.

"You can do, son. I know you can."

Yohan looked up at his father. Lulua stepped foreword.

"Come on, baby. You can do it."

"Yeah! Come on, Yohan!" Jhataf added.

"We know you can do it!" Kay cheered.

Yohan wagged his tail. If his family believed in him; had faith in him, he knew he could do it! He got up, gritting his teeth. He took a step. Then another and another. The others followed, cheering him on.

The sun was high in the sky. Its bright rays stung the wolves' backs and beat down upon their heads. The mountains of Paradise seemed to be getting closer. Yohan leaded the group. Lulua followed and Toboe trailed behind. He stopped and looked back upon the bare land.

_Atali was wrong. There is no plant here. Only heartache and sorrow._

"Toboe, are you okay?" Kay asked.

Toboe turned to catch up.

"I'm fine." He said.

All but Yohan stopped when they heard buzzing. They turned to see a roach flying at them. It stopped mid-flight and twitched its antenna. It turned and flew away, the scent of its dead queen all over the wolves. They sighed and ran to catch up with the very determine Yohan.

The sun slowly began to sink. The wolves were already in the Desert Lands. The coyotes watched in disbelief as the wolves passed through. They were also drawn by the blood from the dead wolf and the blood still trailing from Yohan's scarred feet. The biggest coyote bravely stepped foreword.

"How did you brave the dragons?"

Yohan looked deep into the beast's cold, pale yellow eyes.

"There are no dragons." He hissed.

The coyote gasped. Yohan walked right passed it, the others at his heels.

Galaxy watched at the border of Paradise. He looked out on the horizon, waiting. A breeze blew into his mane, sending his long forelock flying into his big, brown eyes. He arched his neck to see further. He picked up his ears and nickered softly. He saw something in the distance. He flared his large nostrils. Yes, it was they. He tossed his head and whipped around. He galloped hard towards Kiba's territory.

Kiba lay with his head buried in Cheza's lap. One of his daughters, Lupe, was already in the last stage of the disease, which they now called 'Moon Pox'. The others sat around him. Hige hadn't eaten in days. Tsume was so disfigured, one would hardly be able to recognize him. Blue and Shiloh were listless and emaciated. Only Sheba and Kiba were still stuck in the first phase. Cheza ran her fingers over Kiba's lumpy neck.

"They're dead, aren't they?" Hige asked weakly.

"No." Kiba whispered. "They're just late."

Cheza lifted her head when she heard hooves. She got up. Galaxy skidded to a stop. Cheza ran her hands up and down the stallion's black face. He nickered to her softly and pawed at the ground. Cheza smiled.

"They are here!"

All the wolves got up slowly. Cheza jumped onto Galaxy's back. The horse whinnied and trotted off, the sick wolves trying to keep up.

The sun was nearly gone. Bright pinks and oranges dyed the sky. Yohan twisted his head around gently as his poor feet finally walked upon lush grass.

"Welcome to Paradise, Tiger Lily." He whispered.

Lulua and Toboe looked up to see Galaxy cantering towards them. They loped over to meet them. Cheza dismounted and hugged them.

"My wolves! This One missed you."

Kiba and the others finally caught up. He noticed the body on Yohan's back.

"Is everyone okay? Where's the plant? Who's that?"

"We're fine, daddy." Lulua said.

Toboe stepped foreword. It was the most difficult thing to say.

"We…we didn't find one, Kiba. There was no plant."

Kiba and the others gasped.

"No plant?" Hige asked.

"What're we going to do now?" Blue whimpered.

Cheza walked over to Yohan. She stroked Tiger Lily's fur.

"You have found the plant."

The wolves looked at Cheza.

"What?" Jhataf asked.

"How?" Kay added.

Cheza gently lifted Tiger Lily off of Yohan's back. Relieved, he fell into the cool grass. Cheza turned and walked to Galaxy. She lay the wolf body on his back.

"Come. Let us go plant her."

The wolves exchanged confused looks. Had Cheza lost it completely?

She stopped the pack by the cave where Atali died. She turned to Lulua, Jhataf and Kay.

"Dig a hole. We must plant her by moonlight."

The wolves obeyed, though still very perplexed.

Cheza placed Tiger Lily's body in the large hole. Lulua and Kay kicked dirt over it. Yohan sighed in relief. He kept his promise. Cheza and the others backed up. The moon shone brightly upon the grave. Suddenly, sparkles of light rose up from the ground. Cheza smiled and began to sing. As she sang, a tiny stem poked from the ground. Long, cylindrical leaves sprouted from the stem, which grew longer and thicker. When the stem reached a height of about 1-foot, a purple flower with swirls of turquoise and teal popped up. A second one bloomed and then a third. The stem and leaves were striped with light green and dark green. The beautiful herb glowed and twinkled in the moonlight. Cheza ended her song. She turned to look at her awe-struck wolves. Yohan had tears in his eyes.

"Tiger Lily." He whispered. "_She_ was the herb!"

Cheza smiled and picked 11 leaves and handed one to each wolf.

"Chew on these. Your strength and appitite will return."

They took the leaves gently and chewed. Cheza picked more and handed them to Galaxy.

"Galaxy, take these to all the wolves in Paradise. Tell them This One said it will cure them."

Galaxy whinnied and took off into the night.

Within a week, the sores shriveled up and fell off. Within another week, their appetites were slowly coming back. Within a month, they were cured. By winter, the plant now called the 'Tiger Wolf Blossom' seeded and died. But, by spring, all the meadows in Paradise were covered with the blossoms. The wolves chewed the leaves every so often to keep any ailments at bay. The horses, too, consumed the petals in small doses to fight off colic and lameness.

And Yohan spent all of his time sleeping in the blossoms. He spoke to them and howled to them. He rolled in their fragrance and carried their aroma with him everywhere he went.

A silver gyr falcon watched the wolves from a perch on the canyon wall. He watched as the flowers spread their beauty all over Paradise. He screeched and opened his wings. He soared over the territories and watched the wolves frolic in the blossom meadows. They were healthy and happy.

_My wolves are safe. Oh, the bliss._

Atali lifted himself higher into the clouds. He had been watching, waiting, and hoping from his high perch…on angel's wings.


	10. Epilogue A Gift From Above

_Epilogue:_

**_"A Gift from Above"_**

_1 year and 9 weeks later…_

Lulua panted heavily and pushed. Toboe and Yohan stood by her tail looking down.

"It's crowning!" Toboe shouted eagerly.

Yohan just watched intently, tail wagging. He'd been waiting 9 weeks for the delivery of his new little brother or sister.

Soon, the ears appeared. Lulua gave one more exhausted push and the slippery pup plopped into the dirt. Yohan had the honor of biting open the amniotic sack. It was a girl. The pup squealed and squirmed as she took her first breath. Yohan and Toboe gasped and looked at each other, vexed. Lulua leaned foreword.

"What's the ma-…oh, my! How the hell did that happen?"

The three just stared at the odd colored pup.

_3 months later_

Yohan leapt and bounded through the meadows. He stopped and looked behind.

"Come on, Lilia."

A chubby, little black pup with cream colored stripes waddled behind him.

"Bwother! Bwother! Wait for me!" She called in a tiny voice.

Lilia hopped in the air and kicked her fat little legs around. She looked down at Yohan.

"Betcha can't catch me!" She teased.

Yohan stared up into the air as his little sister flew around his head. She giggled and took off. Yohan ran after her.

"Lilia, don't go that high! Lilia! Wait for me!"


End file.
